A long way, actually. Aside from the short Barkley stint in the 90's, the Suns have never really been atop the ladder for very long. Thinking back on the most recent memory of them with Stephon, Penny, McDyess, and Manning... they've climbed a TALL ladder to get to the top of the Pacific. Amazing job grabbing Steve Nash and drafting Amare Stoudamire in two straight seasons. A match made in heaven for while it lasted...

A

Where They Are...

Still riding the top rung of the ladder, but they seem to be slipping by the minute. As good as they got so quickly, the Suns might have gotten just as bad in one offseason. As the teams best 3-point shooting team, a big no-no is trading away your two best 3-point scorers (Quentin Richardson and Joe Johnson). The loss of those two surprise players robs Phoenix of it's edge. Steve Nash's play with stay consistent, as will Shawn Marion's... but Kurt Thomas might not play as well in the West with more capable big men to battle. And then there's Amare... who suffered a Penny Hardaway, micro-surgery-worthy leg injury. The jury is still out as to whether or not he'll ever be the same. On one hand, his recovery is speeding along and he says he feels no pain. On the other hand... there's Penny. Therefore, I can't simply give the Suns one, steady rating.

A- (w/ a fully recovered Amare)
D+ (if he's never the same again)

Where They're Going...

As stated above, that's all in the hands of their MVP player (no, not Steve Nash... I'm talking about the real MVP). Nash and Marion have at least 5 more good years each (Nash probably has a little under 10). The future of this franchise rests soley on the shoulders of their main man. Yes, Amare's THAT big of a deal. Steven A. Smith put it best; this is a dangerous injury for Amare. High flying boards, mid-air swats, and above-the-rim power jams are Amare's most deadly tools... his game relies so heavily on his legs that taking them from the equation could eliminate his effect on the win or loss outcome. The Phoenix Suns are future champions if the 04'-05' Stoudamire returns. If he comes back and only gets 12 points, 8 rebounds, and 1 block a game, the Suns will never make the Conference Finals again in his career. Damn good thing he just inked that contract...

N/A

Last edited by 32 on Mon Oct 31, 2005 11:46 am, edited 1 time in total.

I think you're right on the money there player! Amare is huge and he does rely on his athleticism that much.

BUT

Then there is the case of one ANTONIO MCDYESS - He was just like Amare and the same thing happened! He has no developed his game and become a major player on a championship team. He is not what he use to be but gives an example of what a player has to do and that is develop their game. Hopefully for Amare he won't go through the same thing!

Right, but what of their future? If Amare goes down, Penny-style, this team (that had just recently become a league-juggernaut) turns into the new Knicks! How horrid to think about if you're a D'Antoni!

Pretty Accurate except for the fact that they went to Double OT with Dallas and I don't think the Suns were a mediocre D+. I would give them a B- since they still have two stars, Steve Nash and Shawn Marion. Raja Bell and James Jones looked pretty good tonight also; I think their team is actually above average than most of the teams. They still have the fast break tenacity in them but tonight they just lacked the intensity at the end of the game. Also, I dont think you can compare Antonio Mcydess and Amare Stoudamire since Mcydess already played two seasons in Alabama and wasn't really known for being a tenacious frontcourt threat, and as Amare is far more developed than he was.

The departure of JJ was a big blow, QR opened up the floor, Amare in turn drew attention down low. It's was a perfect marriage. Which in turn let Nash run wild through the interior of the defense. I'd be shocked if any of the suns' players had better years than last years.(except: Shawn Marion) But after saying all that I still think the suns can still compete for the 8th spot for the playoffs.

Potential? Shawn Marion's been a star for the past 2 or 3 years, I dunno where you've been.

Also, BTT, I'm sorta judging the future harshly... it's sort of a "where will you be in 5 or 6 years" kinda thing. If Amare doesn't come back as strong as he was last season (or if he comes back just half as strong), the Suns will never win a championship with the team they've got (and I'm betting they don't come out of the 2nd round). You're right; they looked good yesterday... but James isn't gonna fill in Amare's shoes, Nash plays better with a stronger lineup, Marion can't carry the Suns alone (he's tried), and Bell isn't gonna make anyone forget JJ anytime soon. Even with Amare in the lineup, they'd have less firepower... if he doesn't come back 110%, the Suns are gonna fade out, ala the Knicks of the late 90's. That's why the D+ is where it's at.

This season's Suns team looks tough! James looks good, Bell is playing well and the rest, especially marion, are playing solid. Marion is not going to slow down, he will only get better. No point thinking 5 or 6 years ahead, this Suns team has a team now that could compete and with Amare, they a much more allround than last season

There's ALWAYS a point thinking 5 or 6 years ahead... look what happened to The Bulls that were "stuck in the moment"...

Yeah, the Suns look pretty tough right now against the Lakers (who don't have a credible big man) and Dallas (Eric Dampier??? Please...)

We already know that the Suns are one of (if not the) best run-and-gun teams in the league (2nd, possible, only to the Warriors). OF COURSE they can play against teams who's lineups are dependent on outside players (Kobe, Terry, Dirk, Odom). What will TRULY test the Suns in Amare's absense will be when they face San Antonio or Miami or even Portland's Zach Randolph. They have yet to test themselves against a credible inside team. Of course there's reason to be worried.

2 decent opening games are nothing to sprout a fat, rubbery one over. Phoenix's outside shooting looks sharp (it always has), Amare didn't effect that. Their inside game hasn't been tested yet. We'll see when they play the Spurs on the 19th what kind of inside game the Suns have (they're playing teams without credible big men before that)...